One of the novels of Charles Dickens included a comment on the
snobbery of Victorian England in relation to cardplaying. "He
calls the knaves jacks, this boy," Estella said of Pip in
"Great Expectations."
But "this boy" had the last laugh. Even in England, the
word knave is obsolescent, used only by the very old or those being
consciously quaint.

The great novelist would be astonished by a current meaning of
the word jack. With a capital letter, it is the name of the Dutch
computer program that has won the world computer bridge championship
for four straight years. It is the brainchild of Hans Kuijf, with
input from Wim Heemskerk, Martin Pattenier and a former world
champion, Berry Westra. (Information at www .jackbridge.com.)

In the 2004 contest, staged at the Summer Nationals in Manhattan
two weeks ago, Jack defeated an American program, Bridge Baron, in
the final by 60 imps. The diagramed deal is from the semifinal
against a French entry.

Jack's bidding with the North-South cards was highly
sophisticated. Jack-North reversed with two diamonds, indicating
great strength. It then rebid three clubs, suggesting 4-6
distribution in the minor suits. Jack-South took over, leaping to
four no-trump, Roman Keycard Blackwood.

With clubs agreed, the response showed two keycards plus the
trump queen. Five no-trump, asking for the number of side kings, was
clever. Jack-South intended to pass six clubs, which would have been
the right contract if North had held slightly different red suits: a
doubleton heart queen with A-Q-x-x in diamonds.

As it was, six no-trump was the perfect contract, with the heart
king protected against a lead in that suit. When West led the spade
jack, South could claim all of the tricks.

In the replay, the opposing program had a bidding failure. South
responded two spades to one club and rebid its spade suit after
three diamonds. North then bid three no-trump, a poor choice for two
reasons: A heart stopper was lacking, and there were good slam
prospects.

Jack-East rejected the standard lead of the heart four, seeing
the danger of a blockage. It produced the heart ten, the key move,
after simulating some possible layouts. It could now hold the lead
if the declarer played low from the dummy, and the defense took the
first five tricks for down one.

The best computer programs are improving constantly and can now
play against midlevel humans on equal terms. Jack's creators feel
that it is still weak in defense, but one would not suspect that in
view of the lead of the heart ten.